SCL-Sensor.Tech – Self-Sensing Cantilevers

SCL-Sensor.Tech develops and manufactures silicon piezo-resistive self-sensing cantilevers. This type of all-electrical cantilever allows completely new applications in the fields of AFM, nanoprobing, force measurement and other sensing applications.

Self-sensing cantilevers are equipped with a full piezo-resistive Wheatstone bridge that directly measures the cantilever signal electrically, removing the space-consuming requirement for an optical readout. Two variable resistors are on the cantilever and two on the chip. The cantilever chip is bonded onto a small PCB with a small connector for a quick and highly reproducible cantilever exchange. The sensor signal is read out and amplified by a small pre-amplifier PCB. This enables an easy and seamless integration with various instruments (e.g., SEM, TEM and many other measurement systems). The self-sensing cantilevers are available with a variety of resonance frequencies and spring constants.

Si-Tip

Tipless

SCD Tip

Self-Sensing Cantilevers with Silicon Tip

This is considered the standard type of self-sensing cantilever. It exhibits a sharp tip made of silicon with a tip radius of <15 nm. Normally, the cantilever is delivered on our cantilever PCB (CL-PCB) with a small 10 pin connector on its lower side. On request you can order only the Si chip without PCB and connector for bonding on your own PCB holder.

Self-Sensing Tipless Cantilevers

These are self-sensing cantilevers without a tip (tipless, TL). This cantilever type is especially suitable for torque magnetometry, force sensing, gas property measurements, and many more applications. The free place where normally the AFM tip is located can be used to accept your own tip, glue a sample, or other uses. Normally, the cantilever is delivered on our cantilever PCB (CL-PCB) with a small 10 pin connector on its lower side. On request you can order only the Si chip without PCB and connector for bonding on your own PCB holder.

Self-Sensing Cantilevers with Single Crystal Diamond Tip

These are self-sensing cantilevers with a hard, sharp, long-life single crystal diamond tip (SCD). The cantilever is delivered on our cantilever PCB (CL-PCB) with a small 10 pin connector on its bottom side.